Australians’ top questions about Covid-19 restrictions answered

Australians still have questions about how to manage Covid-19 if they come into contact with it, and how long it’s actually contagious for.

Confusion over isolation requirements and fears of further lockdowns are top of Australians’ minds as the nation battles a surge in Omicron cases.

As the return to school date nears, we take a look at the top trending questions on Google about Covid-19 safety restrictions in Australia.

IF SOMEONE IN YOUR HOUSE IS BEING TESTED FOR COVID DO YOU HAVE TO ISOLATE?

No – unless you are waiting for a Covid-19 test result or have been told to quarantine.

You need to isolate if you are a close contact of someone who has Covid-19.

According to national protocols, you are a Close Contact if you are living with someone who has Covid-19, or have spent four hours or longer with someone in a home or health or aged care environment since they developed Covid-19.

If you are a close contact of someone who has Covid-19 you must isolate for seven days from the last time you were in contact with that person.

If you have symptoms you should visit your nearest testing clinic as soon as possible.

If you have no symptoms you should take a rapid antigen test at home.

RAT tests are part of every day life in he Covid era.

The rules are different in SA and NT.

In SA, a close contact is defined as:

– household and household-like contacts and intimate partners;

– those who have been in a setting where there has been significant transmission of Covid-19 (and there has been more than 15 minutes’ face-to-face contact);

– those in high-risk communities/settings/workplaces where someone has tested positive to Covid-19 (and there has been more than 15 minutes’ face-to-face contact);

Close contacts are still required to get an initial PCR test and another one on day six, or immediately if symptoms develop.

In NT, a close contact is a person that:

– resides in the same household /premises as a Covid-19 positive person;

– has spent four hours or more indoors with a Covid-19 positive person while they were infectious.

A person’s infectious period is usually the two days before they developed symptoms, or two days before they tested positive if they did not have symptoms.

HOW LONG IS COVID CONTAGIOUS FOR?

Experts believe most people with Covid are most contagious immediately before and immediately after symptoms appear. In Australia, national protocols you must isolate at home for at least seven days from the day you had your test. If you have symptoms on the sixth day, you must stay at home until symptoms are gone. If you have no symptoms on the seventh day, you can return to normal living and leave your home. You do not need a further test.

WILL NSW GO INTO LOCKDOWN?

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has signalled he does not want anymore lockdowns with students on track to return to school in February.

Instead, the premier has extended some Covid restrictions to curb Omicron cases in the state. The raft of restrictions, in place until the end of February, include a mask mandate for indoor venues, QR code check-ins at high risk venues and a ban on singing and dancing.

On Monday, Mr Perrottet rejected a claim by the Western Australian government that the eastern states are “essentially in lockdown”.

“NSW is open, there’s no doubt,” Mr Perrottet said.

“You go out on the weekend, the shops are open, the pubs are open, the restaurants, the bars.”

The comments came in response to a claim by the WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson that Australia’s eastern states were locked down “in all but name”.

“It’s essentially lockdown by default,” she said on Sunday.

Nope, no lockdown here, according to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

WILL VICTORIA GO INTO LOCKDOWN IN 2022?

Similarly, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has signalled he does not want anymore lockdowns.

The premier announced his state’s back-to-school plan, as children and parents prepare for the end of the summer break. Every week for the first four weeks of school, students and teachers will be asked to undergo a rapid antigen test that will be provided by their school, under the plan.

Mr Andrews said a rise in new infections was expected when schools opened up, but Victoria’s high vaccination coverage meant remote learning was no longer an option.

“It will look a bit different. There will be challenges. It won’t all be smooth,” he said.

He said remote learning will be considered “only as a localised, short-term last resort”.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is hellbent on keeping schools open. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Originally published as Australians’ top questions about Covid-19 restrictions answered